We believe that the local church should be accountable within the kingdom of God for the purposes of providing doctrinal stability as well as spiritual and financial integrity. Bridge Church is part of the fellowship of the General Council of the Assemblies of God, founded in 1914 and headquartered in Springfield, Missouri.

This affiliation enables us to participate with thousands of churches worldwide in our united efforts to bring Jesus to the world. Working together creates many more opportunities for effective ministry than any church could experience on its own.

While our affiliation is with the Assemblies of God, we are committed to partnering with other ministry organizations in the Annapolis area. We believe that God is using many groups in this area to share His love with people, and the work He is doing in Annapolis is bigger than any one church. Together, we will reach Annapolis with the love of Jesus Christ!

Visit http://www.ag.org for more information.

Since there are so many Christian denominations, it is helpful to identify our posture within Christian circles. Bridge Church is:

• Protestant: We believe each person may commune directly with God based on Jesus’ death on the cross and may have a personal and meaningful relationship with Him. (Hebrews 4:14-16, 6:20, Ephesians 2:18)
• Trinitarian: We believe that God exists in three persons - the Father, Son (Jesus), and Holy Spirit. We believe all three are alive and at work today. We also believe that this God of three persons is the one and only true God. (2 Corinthians 13:14, Luke 3:22)
• Evangelical: Our primary message is bringing the lost to a saving knowledge of and relationship with Jesus Christ. (Romans 10:13-15)
• Pentecostal: Our most distinctive doctrine is that we are a full-gospel church - one in which the fullness of the Holy Spirit is welcomed, nurtured, and taught. This includes speaking in tongues as the initial evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:4, 10:44-46)

In its early years, the General Council of the Assemblies of God established 4 cardinal doctrines, the major tenets of our fellowship. Because they are based on the unchanging and inerrant Word of God, these standards have withstood the test of time and have endured in their original form to this day. They are:

1. Salvation is available to “whosoever will” through faith in Jesus Christ alone. It is a gift! We can never earn and we do not deserve this gift, but God has provided it out of His great love for us. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
2. The baptism of the Holy Spirit, which equips us with power for victorious Christian living and provides us with specific spiritual gifts for effective ministry, is a separate experience following salvation and should be the norm for believers. (Acts 10:44-46)
3. Divine healing for physical, emotional, and spiritual needs is an integral part of the atoning gift of God through Jesus Christ. God can and does heal. (James 5:14-16)
4. The second coming of Christ is the blessed hope of the church. We are energized by our belief in the imminent return of the Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

In addition, the Assemblies of God fellowship observes two ordinances: communion and water baptism. Observed monthly, communion provides believers - both members and visitors alike - a time to reflect on the significance of Christ’s death on the cross. Water baptism, by immersion in water, is a one-time symbolic act, a public testimony signifying the private transaction that took place at salvation - the death of the person’s sinful nature and the new birth in Jesus Christ.